Dubai / Sharjah: One-week itinerary, visa, food spots and where to go

City Walk, Dubai with Burj Khalifa in the back drop

There’s no shortage of ‘things-to-do’ in Dubai. It’s a place built for spending money, a capitalist wet dream. If you’re here for a day or a month, there are tons of things to do for any budget. And if you’re a Malayali, chances are you know someone in UAE too. 

This trip has been in the works for some time. Since Sruthi was born and brought up in Sharjah and half of her family still lives there and a visit was due since our wedding. Planning it around the Dubai Open was my big brain move. 😎 February also happened to have the best weather (it flooded in March 😬).

This was my first visit ever, but for Sruthi this was like coming back home. While leaving, the arab at immigration said, ‘Oh, you’re a local’ after seeing her passport, and she almost went back running.

Few of the cats of Dubai / Sharjah

We had our stay sorted at my BIL’s place, so I cannot recommend a stay in Sharjah/Dubai. It won't be difficult to find a hotel in either place, but I don't suppose you’ll find any homestay-like setup here though (I just tried :P).

Dubai Open WTA 1000

If you're planning a Dubai trip, plan it in February - March for the ATP 500 Dubai Open. Our trip was basically planned around the Dubai Open, and it is the best way to spend time in Dubai if you’re a tennis fan. Even if you aren't, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the experience. We have an entirely separate article written just for this.

Let’s start from the beginning - the visa and booking process. (for Indians). You can skip to the touristy bits if this does not apply to you.

Visa

I have always had trust issues with any middlemen, and I always try to book things myself. Unfortunately, you can book your UAE Visa only through airlines, hotels, or travel agents. We used akbartravels for me (₹7399) and Niyo Global for Sruthi (they had 50% off then). The visa was issued within a day, and I verified them via the website of Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security- ICP.

Consider taking an international card with 0 forex fees or activating your card for international spending. Most shops accept cards like how UPI is accepted in India. Some small snack shops were still cash-only, though, then we turned to our brother/sister in need. ;)

Sharjah corniche / Al Majaz Waterfront

We landed in Sharjah and departed from Dubai because I wanted to see both airports. There were long queues for immigration, but I noticed the Arab officers were very considerate of old people and women/families with children. They were given preference and sent to different priority queues. It was probably the only time I wished we had a kid.

Tickets:

I’d recommend you start planning early to track the ticket prices. You can use Google flights or Skyscanner for it. I put the notification on for specific dates on Google flights and book when the charges look okay. Now, this is really a gamble, and once you book it, it’s best to disable the notification and never look back at it again. It can make you very sad or happy. It’s all luck.  We got the COK - SHJ for 26,757 and DXB - COK for 19,892 for two people.

Also, almost always, it’s best to book directly via the airline's website. Even if the other website shows many offers, they’ll add some kind of charges at the very end to make it more expensive.

Touristy bits:

I cannot possibly write even a fraction of the ways to spend your money in Dubai, there are a ton, so I’ll cover what we did when we were not at the Dubai Open. I can recommend a decent list of food places, though. Covers both Sharjah and Dubai:

Middle-Eastern:

Mama’esh Sharjah Beach House - Palestine cuisine

Al Mukhtar Bakery - many branches

Tibba for Mandi & Madhbi

Zahrat Al Quds Restaurant

Laffah Restaurant - Shawarma

Al Fareej Restaurant - kabab

Al Hallab Restaurant & Sweets

Local House Restaurant - fine dining-like service

Star Grills (TODAY'S VIEW RESTAURANT) - for the view?

Al Ustad Special Kebab

Al Damayati restaurant

Najd Palace Restaurant & Kitchen - mandi

Bu Qtair Restaurant - seafood

Barbar - Hessa Street

Qalat Baalbak Restaurant

Farooj Al Abdalla فروج العبدالله

Dubai - Hessa

Asian:

Al Ashiyah Cafeteria - Pakistan

Syed Al Biryani Restaurant - Pakistan Biriyani

Kabab Al Madina - Cafeteria

Pak Liyari Restaurant - Gosht biriyaniDaily Restaurant

Dampa Seafood Grill

IchiRyu Ramen House Dubai

Ravi Restaurant Satwa

Seasons Restaurant

Others:

PUBLIC - tiramisu

L'antica Pizzeria da Michele - eat pray love

Disclaimer: All of what I'm writing is based on a week of experience as a tourist; you might agree (Sruthi lovves it there) or disagree if you're a resident. Comment below!

Tony Soprano's Chevrolet Suburban

The first to-do thing which pops up in Gulf countries is the desert safari. We didn't do that, so I can't comment on it. On the last day, we went for a drive just to see some desert dunes, and it was beautiful! Desert safari, maybe next time. Below are the things we did do:

Global Village

For many, this may be a boring option, but for a first-time tourist like me, it was fantastic! There were pavilions based on countries and tons of shopping and food options. You’ll be spoiled for choices and can get your souvenir shopping sorted for the trip.

Palm Jumairah

Map view of Palm Jumairah

The arial view is very nice, but once you’re there, it looks like any waterfront property. It might be a different experience staying in one of the hotels there, though.

Old Dubai  Al Seef

Glimpse of old Dubai and streets, albeit a bit too modernized and touristy-fied. 

Jebel Jais / Milehah

If you have an international license of a brother-in-law with one, this is a beautiful place to go for a drive and a welcome change from the boring straight highways. There are also zip lines and other activities.

Jumairah Beach

Cat enjoying his huge toilet with the best view

Well-maintained white sand beach with jogging tracks and many water sports. Free swimming too!

City Walk

Very nice place to walk around and just chill. Plenty of exotic car showrooms to car spot too!

Malls

You can probably see a mall every 200m, but some of them were attractions by themselves. Dubai Mall is an obvious choice and is a must-visit even if you have no intention of buying anything. The mall has a full-fledged aquarium and a spectacular fountain show in the evening in the backdrop of the mighty Burj Khalifa. Other exciting malls: Ibn Battuta Mall, gold souks, etc

Downtown Dubai

Just near the Dubai Mall and around the Burj Khalifa, you get to experience peak Dubai. Every other car might be a supercar. A visit to Dubai would be incomplete without a stroll around this area. 

Sruthi’s ‘history’

Sharjah Indian School buses lined up

This one was personal and might not be interesting to the general public. 😛 Sruthi was the tour guide for the day and showed me her school, old house, church and neighbourhood in Sharjah. I enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the rest of my trip, seeing her eyes gleaming with nostalgia and emotions. 

Frame, museum of the future, lots of cats etc

Walk Walk Walk

Pretty useless as a water 'metro'

Almost all the places we went to were covered by metro and by foot. You literary cover a lot of ground and landscape you generally miss if you take a taxi or other ways, not to mention cheaper and healthier too. We did take a water metro from near the Jumeirah beach to Al Seef, but they come only once in a blue moon, and we had to wait 2 hours for it.

Things I’m definitely doing the next time:

Dubai autodrome

Sharjah Aquarium

Dubai Open again 😀